Barcelona president Joan Laporta has underlined his ambition to bring the forward back to Catalonia
(Image credit: Getty)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated his desire to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou before the end of the PSG forward’s career.
Messi departed his boyhood club in tears last summer after the appalling financial situation at the Catalan club left them unable to afford a new contract.
"It is an aspiration that I have as president and I would like it to happen," Laporta said (via ESPN).
"I was co-responsible for an ending that I consider provisional. Messi's story at Barca did not end as we all wanted, it ended conditioned by financial reasons and we have a moral debt to him.
"In that sense, we would like the end of his career to be with the Barca shirt on, applauded at every stadium he plays at."
(Image credit: PA)
The 35-year-old has one more year remaining on his contract with PSG.
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During his first season in Paris, Messi scored 11 goals and provided 15 assists in 34 appearances in all competitions to help Mauricio Pochettino’s side clinch the Ligue 1 title.
However, they suffered a disappointing Champions League last-16 exit to Real Madrid after a second leg collapse at the Bernabeu to the eventual champions.
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.
